come a member of Council or colleague of the Governor…General； he prepared three memorials to Government on each of these crimes。 When afterwards he had enlisted Claudius Buchanan in the good work； and had employed trustworthy natives to collect statistics proving that in the small district around Calcutta 275 widow murders thus took place in six months of 1803； and when he was asked by Dr。 Ryland to state the facts which； with his usual absence of self…regarding； he had not reported publicly； or even in letters home； he thus replied：
〃27th April 1808。The report of the burning of women； and some others； however； were made by me。 I； at his expense； however； made the inquiries and furnished the reports； and believe they are rather below the truth than above it。 I have； since I have been here； through a different medium； presented three petitions or representations to Government for the purpose of having the burning of women and other modes of murder abolished； and have succeeded in the case of infanticide and voluntary drowning in the river。 Laws were made to prevent these； which have been successful。〃
But there was a crime nearer home； committed in the river flowing past his own door； and especially at Sagar Island； where the Ganges loses itself in the ocean。 At that tiger…haunted spot； shivering in the cold of the winter solstice； every year multitudes of Hindoos； chiefly wives with children and widows with heavy hearts； assembled to wash away their sinsto sacrifice the fruit of their body for the sin of their soul。 Since 1794； when Thomas and he had found in a basket hanging on a tree the bones of an infant exposed； to be devoured by the white ants； by some mother too poor to go on pilgrimage to a sacred river…spot； Carey had known this unnatural horror。 He and his brethren had planned a preaching tour to Sagar； where not only mothers drowned their first born in payment of a vow； with the encouragement of the Brahmans； but widows and even men walked into the deep sea and drowned themselves at the spot where Ganga and Sagar kiss each other； 〃as the highest degree of holiness； and as securing immediate heaven。〃 The result of Carey's memorial was the publication of the Regulation for preventing the sacrifice of children at Sagar and other places on the Ganges：〃It has been represented to the Governor…General in Council that a criminal and inhuman practice of sacrificing children； by exposing them to be drowned or devoured by sharks； prevails。。。Children thrown into the sea at Sagar have not been generally rescued。。。but the sacrifice has been effected with circumstances of peculiar atrocity in some instances。 This practice is not sanctioned by the Hindoo law； nor countenanced by the religious orders。〃 It was accordingly declared to be murder； punishable with death。 At each pilgrim gathering sepoys were stationed to check the priests and the police； greedy of bribes； and to prevent fanatical suicides as well as superstitious murders。
The practice of infanticide was really based on the recommendation of Sati； literally the 〃method of purity〃 which the Hindoo shastras require when they recommend the bereaved wife to burn with her husband。 Surely； reasoned the Rajpoots； we may destroy a daughter by abortion； starvation； suffocation； strangulation； or neglect； of whose marriage in the line of caste and dignity of family there is little prospect； if a widow may be burned to preserve her chastity！
In answer to Carey's third memorial Lord Wellesley took the first step； on 5th February 1805； in the history of British India； two centuries after Queen Elizabeth had given the Company its mercantile charter； and half a century after Plassey had given it political power； to protect from murder the widows who had been burned alive； at least since the time of Alexander the Great。 This was the first step in the history of British but not of Mohammedan India； for our predecessors had by decree forbidden and in practice discouraged the crime。 Lord Wellesley's colleagues were still the good Udny； the great soldier Lord Lake and Sir George Barlow。 The magistrate of Bihar had on his own authority prevented a child…widow of twelve； when drugged by the Brahmans； from being burned alive； after which； he wrote； 〃the girl and her friends were extremely grateful for my interposition。〃 Taking advantage of this case； the Government asked the appellate judges； all Company's servants； to 〃ascertain how far the practice is founded on the religious opinions of the Hindoos。 If not founded on any precept of their law； the Governor…General in Council hopes that the custom may gradually； if not immediately； be altogether abolished。 If； however； the entire abolition should appear to the Court to be impracticable in itself； or inexpedient； as offending any established religious opinion of the Hindoos；〃 the Court were desired to consider the best means of preventing the abuses； such as the use of drugs and the sacrifice of those of immature age。 But the preamble of this reference to the judges declared it to be one of the fundamental principles of the British Government to consult the religious opinions of the natives； 〃consistently with the principles of morality； reason； and humanity。〃 There spoke Carey and Udny； and Wellesley himself。 But for another quarter of a century the funeral pyres were to blaze with the living also； because that caveat was set aside； that fundamental maxim of the constitution of much more than the British Governmentof the conscience of humanity； was carefully buried up。 The judges asked the pundits whether the woman is 〃enjoined〃 by the shaster voluntarily to burn herself with the body of her husband。 They replied 〃every woman of the four castes is permitted to burn herself；〃 except in certain cases enumerated； and they quoted Manoo； who is against the custom in so far as he says that a virtuous wife ascends to heaven if she devotes herself to pious austerities after the decease of her lord。
This opinion would have been sufficient to give the requisite native excuse to Government for the abolition； but the Nizamat Adawlat judges urged the 〃principle〃 of 〃manifesting every possible indulgence to the religious opinions and prejudices of the natives；〃 ignoring morality； reason； and humanity alike。 Lord Wellesley's long and brilliant administration of eight years was virtually at an end： in seven days he was to embark for home。 The man who had preserved the infants from the sharks of Sagar had to leave the widows and their children to be saved by the civilians Carey and he had personally trained； Metcalfe and Bayley； who by 1829 had risen to Council and become colleagues of Lord W。 Bentinck。 But Lord Wellesley did this much； he declined to notice the so…called 〃prohibitory regulations〃 recommended by the civilian judges。 These； when adopted in the year 1812； made the British Government responsible by legislation for every murder thereafter； and greatly increased the number of murders。 From that date the Government of India decided 〃to allow the practice；〃 as recognised and encouraged by the Hindoo religion； except in cases of compulsion； drugging； widows under sixteen； and proved pregnancy。 The policenativeswere to be present； and to report every case。 At the very time the British Parliament were again refusing in the charter discussions of 1813 for another twenty years to tolerate Christianity in its Eastern dependency； the Indian legislature legalised the burning and burying alive of widows； who numbered at least 6000 in nine only of the next sixteen years； from 1815 to 1823 inclusive。
》From Plassey in 1757 to 1829； three quarters of a century； Christian England was responsible； at first indirectly and then most directly； for the known immolation of at least 70；000 Hindoo widows。 Carey was the first to move the authorities； Udny and Wellesley were the first to begin action against an atrocity so long continued and so atrocious。 While the Governor…Generals and their colleagues passed away； Carey and his associates did not cease to agitate in India and to stir up Wilberforce and the evangelicals in England； till the victory was gained。 The very first number of the Friend of India published their essay on the burning of widows； which was thereafter quoted on both sides of the conflict； as 〃a powerful and convincing statement of the real facts and circumstances of the case；〃 in Parliament and elsewhere。 Nor can we omit to record the opinion of Carey's chief pundit； with whom he spent hours every day as a fellow…worker。 The whole body of law…pundits wrote of Sati as only 〃permitted。〃 Mritunjaya； described as the head jurist of the College of Fort William and the Supreme Court； decided that； according to Hindooism； a life of mortification is the law for a widow。 At best burning is only an alternative for mortification； and no alternative can have the force of direct law。 But in former ages nothing was ever heard of the practice； it being peculiar to a later and more corrupt era。 〃A woman's burning herself from the desire of connubial bliss ought to be rejected with abhorrence；〃 wrote this colossus of pundits。 Yet before he was believed； or the higher law was enforced； as it has ever since been even in our tribut